NFL Opening Day Lines: Dallas Cowboys vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers play host to the Dallas Cowboys in their home opener on Sunday, September 13th in a 1:00 P.M. (EDT) game. The Bucs start the 2009 season as home dogs with the Cowboys currently favored by 3 points, and the over/under is set at 42. Dallas has won 2 out of their last 3 opening games on the road, while Tampa Bay is 0-3 in their last three home openers.

Tampa is a team in transition after firing general manager Bruce Allen and head coach John Gruden when the Bucs lost their last seven games of the season in 2008. Gruden, who led Tampa to a Super Bowl title in 2003 spent seven years as head coach but could never duplicate his early success. New head coach, Raheem Morris will have his hands full, inheriting a team with marginal talent and no solid starting quarterback on the roster. Dallas has also endured their share of troubles this off season as owner, Jerry Jones decided to clean house by releasing a number of disruptive players, most notably WR Terrell Owens. As QB Tony Romo enters his seventh season and fourth as a starter, the success of this team now falls squarely on his shoulders.

Statistically both teams were ranked in the middle of the pact last season as they both averaged 22 points per game on offense and just over 340 total yards per game. On defense, they gave up just over 20 points per game and 340 total yards per game. Given this fact, the current over/under of 42 is right on the money. The big intangible in this game is the level of overall talent. Dallas still has a number of game changing players who have just not lived up to their potential. Head coach Wade Phillips will be under the gun to get his team off to a good start and moving in the right direction. Tampa will take a few weeks to find itself which doesn’t bode well from keeping their home opener losing streak from reaching four.

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